Thomas honywooi



liters TATES ATENI' @rrice.

THOMAS I:IONY\VOOI), OF IIORSI-IAM, COUNTY OF SUSSEX, ENGLAND.

NAT'URE-PRlNTiNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,C5'7, dated March 30, 1886.

Application lilcd May 23, 1885. Serial No. 165,510. (No specimens.) Patented in England February 19, 1884, No. 3,531.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS IIONY\VOOD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of lilorsham, in the county of Sussex, England, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Nature-Printing, (for which I have received Letters Patent in England, No. 3,531, dated February 18,1884,) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates toimprovements in the method or methods of obtaining prints from natural objects and in multiplying such prints as may be desired, by which improvements I am able to obtain nature-pints not only from flat surfaces, but also from such as maybe convex or of irregular or even of angular figure, and to produce an appearance of perspective projection, and to combine prints of separate objects into one, so that I am able to introduce an element of artistic design into such nature-prints and to render natureprinting applicable for work to which it has not hitherto been applied.

In obtaining impressions of solid sub- StflDCCS SUCll as fruit, fish, &c.I generally make use 01' a mask or guard, which I can make by cutting ontin a sheet of suitable material, preferably card-board, a hole of the exact size and shape of the object to be repre sented, and either print directly from the object itself through this guard, or, if the surface of the object is too convex or irregular to admit of this being done, I proceed in the manner following: Supposing the object I wish to represent to be a piece of fruit or any similar object, I first obtain an impression from one entire side or half of it, and then transfer this impression to the surface on which the print is to be made, at the same time bringing the various parts or markings into their proper perspective positions. This I accomplish by spreading over the inked surface oi the object to be represented a sheet of thin soft transparent material, which, being pressed on every part of the inked surface of 0ne-half of the object, takes a faithful impression of every marking and irregularity on that side of it. I next lay the guard or mask before described over the part of the re ceiving-surfiice on which I wish to represent the object, and then laying the center of the impression I have obtained over the centerof the opening in the guard I proceed to print from it a retransfer onto the receiving-surface, drawing as I do so the thin transparent material together. as may be necessary to place the Various markings of the surface of the object in their proper relative posit-ions, and I finish up the representation by tinting in a surfacecolor and shadow; and by this means, and by in some cases dissecting the object, as hereinafter mentioned, I am able to produce fairly exact and highly charimteristic representations of objects which appear at first sight most unsuitable for representation by such a process-even such as a bough of a tree with leaves and fruit, &c. \Vhen the nature of the subject admits of such treatment, I print directly from the surface of the object itself, as before mentioned, and in such cases I gently roll the object on the rccciving-snrface, so as to bring every part of it consecutively into contact with the receivirig-surface, the guard or mask meanwhile preventing any impression being accidentally made beyond the proper area.

In other cases in which a rigid surface which cannot be brought into a plane has to be printed from, I dissect the object into a number of sections or short lengtl1s,-and either employ on the separate pieces the method before described, or, having inked their surfaces, I press each separately on the receiving-surface, fitting each piece to the next, so as to produce a complete representation of the whole, and I afterward complete this by a few hand-touches.

\Vhen the object to be represented is a very delicate one, and too fragile to be inked and operated upon in the usual manner-as, for instance, the web of a spider-I make use of the dry pigment in a very fine powder and blow it gently over the object until it is sufficiently coated, and I then inclose the object between two sheets of paper, which, being gently pressed together, retain the object so that it may be removed and pressed.

If only a few copies are required, they may be produced singly by the process the outlines of which are given above; but when many copies are wanted the impression is to be made in lithographic transfer-ink on a stone, to be printed from in the usual way, or the imprcssion may be first obtained on paper and may be dealt with by transfer or by any of the well-known methods of producing a printingsurfaee. For the surface decoration of pot .lO tery I employ substantially the same process, but make use of an ink or inks specially pre pared for that purpose.

For printing in color I employ the oxides of metals or other suitable pigments, and apply the various colors to the various parts of the object, the color laid on any one part of the object corresponding with the color of that part of the object itself.

By means of my process above described,

or some partof it, I am able to produce representations of natural objects with great fidelity and minuteness of detail and admirably suited for the illustration of sci entifie and other books. Representations of botanical speci- 2 5 mens of great size, beauty, and perfection, can thus be produced quickly and cheaply. Representations of many objects of natural historysuch, for instance, as fishes-can be pro duced with a degree of perfection leaving little to be desired, the details even of the scales of a large fish being faithfully rendered and the characteristic appearance of each kind being strikingly brought out. Minute objects also may be represented by this process with 3 5 such fidelity as to reproduce details which can only be seen, either in the original or the print, under the microscope.

My said process is applicable, among other things, for the production of patterns for wallpapers, for the decoration of panels and ceilings, for the decoration of pottery, and for the production of stained glass. It is, moreover, admirably adapted for the use of travelers and scientific explorers, as so little apparatus is necessary and the operation can be so quickly performed.

As the success with which representations of natural objects can be produced by my process depends to some extent on the skill and manual dexterity of the operator, I will now describe in detail the manner in which I proceed with some typical objects, so as to enable the reader to perform the same operation and to apply the process to such other suitable ob- 5 jects as he may desire. If, then, we take a small bough from a rose-tree, by way of ex ample, I proceed as follows: If the leaves are wet, I press them carefully between sheets of blotting-paper until all superfluous moisture to is removed; but it is an advantage that they should remain damp. I then take a sheet of paper similar in shape and size to that on which I intend to print, and lay the bough on it as nearly as may be in the position in which 6 3 it is to be represented. I then, with a sharp knife, cut off the shoots, laying them to the right and left of the main stem in their respective positions. I then take the main stem and carefully rub over it on that side which was lying uppermost some ink or pigment, hereinafter described, using a piece of chamois leather for the purpose, and then laying the stem in its proper position with its inked side downward on the sheet of paper or other receiving-surface on which the impression is to be made, I proceed, commencing at one end, and gradually working toward the other, to press the stem on to the paper or other receiving-surface. If the stem is slight, a very fair representation of it is thus obtained, and it is only necessary to touch up defective parts later on; but if the boughv is a larger one, and of hard woody texture, so that it cannot be pressed upon the paper; I having inked one side or half of it, press on it a piece of thin and partly transparent paper, preferably tracing-paper, using some one of the softer and more fiexiblekinds, according to the strength required for the particular case, and then using a mask, hereinafter described. If the bough is a very large one, I press the thin paper which has received the impression of the bough onto the sheet of paper or other receiving surface on which the representation is to be made, drawing the two sides of the impression of the stern together, if necessary, to make it of proper width, and bring all impressions of knots and other marks into their proper positions.

Having thus represented the main stem, I next take one of the shoots or single leaves (if any) which have been cut ofi, beginning, preferably,with those at the upper end of the bough. I lay the shoot on the inkingboard, and with the leather pad I dab and smear the ink over the leaves and stems, rubbing it into the surface-veins of the leaves and leaving a thin coating on all the surfaces. I then place the shoot with its inked side downward on the paper or other receiving surface on which it is to be printed, so that the cut end of the shoot fits against the representation of the part of the stem from which it was cut. I cover the shoot with a piece of paper and press it onto the surface on which it lies, beginning at the cut end and rubbing it with my fingers, and gradually working toward the other extremities, pressing each leaf and stem carefully, the impression left on the paper covering the shoot affording a good indication of which parts have been pressed sufficiently and which have not. The ink from the surface of the leaves gives a faint surface-tint and the ink within the surfaceveins and depressions produces black or dark lines, as in copper-plate printing. This process I repeat with each of the remaining pieces cut from the bough until the whole of them have been disposed of.

If the bough is a large one and the time occupied in the operation is considerable-several daysfor instance the leaves wither be fore they can be used. Vhen this takes place,I cut off the leaves at the foot of the leaf-stalk,

laying each leaf in its proper position, and l a mask by cutting away carefully round the treat the stern separately first, and then immerse each leaf as required for use in a mixture of spirits of wine and water, consisting of about onethird of rectified spirits of wine and two-thirds of boiling water, for about one minute, by which they are uncurled and softened and rendered as fit for use as when fresh gathered.

Having thus obtained a representation of the whole length, I go carefully over, it and with a leather stump-such as is used for crayon-drawing, the tip of which I moisten with the ink used for printing-fill up any blanks and complete any imperfect parts.

If the object to be represented is a branch bearing apples and leaves, I proceed in the manner just described to obtain a print from the stem, for which purpose, when the stem is of a hard or woody character, as in the case of an apple-tree, I cut it up into convenient lengths, generally cutting it at each considerable bend, after which each part is easily dealt with separately in the manner hereinbefore described. The small shoots and leaves are then treated in the same manneras I have de' scribed in the ease of the rose branch. I next take one of the apples and cut itin two through the eye and stalk, or in such other plane as I may desire to represent it. I then lay the cut surface on a piece of stout paper or card and mark carefully round the half-apple, and then cut out with a penknife a hole in the paper corresponding with the outline of the apple. This I call a mask, and I layit on the surface on which I am printing in the exact place in which the apple is to be represented. I then adopt one of the two processes next following to print the apple on the space indicated. Either I rub the half-apple over with pigment and press it directly onto the paper on which it is to be printed, rolling it so as to bring each part into contact with the receiving surface, and taking care to get good impressions of any marks or defects on its surface, or I more often, having inked the halfapple, press onto it some soft semi-transparent material, by preference tracing-paper, and afterward press the paper which has been so impressed with the markings of the apple onto the receiving-surface through the mask before described, taking care to bring each of the markings, the eye, (if it is to be shown,) and other things into their proper positions, and with due regard to perspective projection, which is not difficult, as the softness of the thin paper and its semi-transparency afford considerable facilities. After the impression is thus taken, I finish up with the stump before mentioned, putting in a shadow on one side and completing any imperfect parts.

XVhen one or more leaf or leaves have to be represented as partly hidden by others,behind which they are, I first print the leaves which are in front and are wholly seen, and then reinking them I take a second impression of them on a piece of paper, with which I make edges of the impression, leaving a piece of paper of the exact size and shape of theleaves already printed. This mask I lay over the print already made, and then lay the leaves which are to be represented as behind the others, properly inked, on the receiving-surface and partly over the mask, and press, as before described. The portions of the receiving-surface already printed on beingthus protected by the guard, the last impression ap pears to pass behind the impression previcusly made.

Vhen the object is too delicate to allow of the color being dabbed onto it, I make use of afine dry powder, for which I prefer to use black oxide of manganese, and blow it over the object, which I then press between sheets of paper. For instance, I treat the web of a spider in this manner, first blowing the black powder over it, for which purpose Ilay some of the powder on a sheet of paper or card-board,and placing it near the web I blow with myinouth in a series of gentle puffs until the powder is sufficiently and evenly distributed over the web. I then take a large sheet of white paper and fold and crease it. Then bringing one fold of it under or behind the web I draw "it forward until the web rests on it, and then I close the other half of the sheet over it and tear the web away from its attachments and press it between the two sides of the folded sheet, and by this means I obtain a very perfect and clear impression of the web with its endless variety of structural arrangements. Such a print cannot be used for transfer purposes direct, but must be reproduced by photography or by tracing in transfer-ink, and thus converted into a printingsurface or placed on the stone.

In obtaining prints from fishes I prepare a mask, as before described. Thenink one side of the fish and pass it through the mask onto the receiving-surface, the elasticity of the bod y being sufficient to enable me to bring each part in succession into contact with the receiving-surface; or sometimes I take a print of the fish (or other object) on thin, preferably tracing, paper, as before described in the para-- graph relating to the method of obtaining prints from apples, and then transfer it to the receiving-surface. Any part-s requiring separate treatment may be cut off or excluded by the mask and printed separately after the body is finished.

In order to obtain nature-prints from rigid and irregular objects-such, for instance, as fiintimplen1ents--I proceed as follows: I first ink one side of the object, say, the flint implement, laying it more thickly on those parts which are to be represented as in shadow, and otherwise shading as I may desire. I then lay over the inked object a piece of tracing-paper, and carefully press it to every part of the object. This being done I remove the tracing-paper and lay it on the receiving-surface and press and rub it evenly, so as to pro- ICC duce a good transfer, and for this purpose I find that rubbing with a burnisher gives excellent results.

The nature-print may be made on paper, in which case it may be used for the preparation of a printing surface by any means of the various welhknown processessuch as photolithography, photo-zincography, photo-etching, &c., or the original natureprint may be made in transfer-ink on transfer-paper, and be then transferred to the stone; or it may be made on the stone direct.

For printing on paper I prefer to use pigment made by reducing a soft black crayon to a fine powder and mixing it with linseed-oil,

and I prefer to mix this as I require it by dipping the dabber from time to time into the crayon-powder and then rubbing it on an inking-board with a few drops of oil until it is sufficiently mixed and evenly spread.

Vhen I wish to make a single or a few prints in colors, I employ the powdered colors ordinarily sold at color-shops, and use a separate dabber for each color, blending the colors, if required, on the subject itself, and matching them accurately with the colors of the parts of the object on which they are laid.

When a number of colored prints are to be produced, I take an impression in black ink and then prepare a series of stones or blocks, one for each color, to work from in the ordinary manner of color printing or chromolithography.

For decorating pottery I print direct from the natural object onto the biscuit-ware, using an ink composed of linseed-oil and black oxide of manganese, or other pigment capable of bearing the heat of the fire, for which purpose almost any of the colors ordinarily used for painting pottery may be used.

Glass I treat in the same manner as pottery, except that the colors suitable for the purpose are less numerous, being generally such only as are transparent. Any of the colors ordinarily used for staining glass may be used, and on account of the glazed character of the surface of the glass I coat it first with a film of albumen, preferably the white of an egg, and when that is dry I print on it as on any receiving-surface.

The burning in, both in the case of pottery and glass, requires to be conducted carefully, and a rather lower temperature maintained than in the case of hand-work, because the layer of color is less thick than when laid on by hand. Textile fabrics may be decorated either by printing directly on them from the object, or they may be painted from a stone by lithography or from a printing-surface.

In the case of very minute objectssnch, for instance, as the scales of butterflies-I attach them to a slip'of glass by cement, (Canada balsam answers well for this purpose,) and then proceed with themes before described.

I have now given examples of the methods of dealing with several objects which serve to illustrate the details of the said process, and I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as my invention the processes, or any of them, for transferring to the stone a picture when once made; nor doI claim the method of producing any of the various kinds of printingsurfaces from the prints; but,

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In the production of nature-prints, the dissection of the object to be represented, and obtaining prints from the segments, one by one, in their proper relative positions, so that the prints of the separate pieces may combine to produce a representation of the whole object.

2. In the production of nature-prints from objects of uneven, curved, or angular surfaces, by inking them, the employment of a flexible vehicle composed of tracing-paper or other suitable material for receiving the imprint of the object, and transferring the print so obtained to the receivingsurface through or with the assistance of a mask or guard, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set forth.

3. In the production of nature-prints, the dissection of the same and treating the parts separately, by inking them and obtaining impressions on tracing-paper or other similar flexible material, and transferring the print so obtained to the receiving-surface through or with the assistance of a mask or guard employed to stop out, or to limit or define the print in certain directions.

THOMAS IIONYIVOOD.

Vitnesses:

Nnwurmir BRowNE,

Patent Agent, 78 Cheapside, London.

WVALTER JAMES S. RERTEN,

17 Graceclmrch Street, London, E. C. 

